The University of Pennsylvania

Penn Engineering's GRASP Lab and the Wharton School's Mack Institute are looking for new uses for robots that can fly, crawl, and climb. We want to turn the best ideas into new startups, and we're giving you the chance to earn up to 10% equity in them.

Technologies

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are both shrinking and becoming more capable. Their ability to operate in real-world environments is increased by a host of new capabilities like collaborative aerial manipulation, perching, localization, and mapping.

X-RHex is a six-legged robot inspired by cockroaches, which are very adept at traversing difficult terrain quickly. The robot is able to carry and use a wide variety of sensors and actuators to complement its impressive off-road mobility.

A construction set for quickly building all kinds of robots from robotic ‘modules’ in a variety of configurations. Parts are easily reused and an infinite number of attachments, including wheels and grippers, are possible.

About the competition

The GRASP Lab in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science has an impressive roster of robots. Within the Wharton School, the Mack Institute for Innovation Management connects world-class researchers and business leaders to advance knowledge about emerging markets and user-driven change.

The Y-Prize Competition provides a chance for contestants to devise commercial applications for Penn technology. By joining forces with Marblar and IP Group, the GRASP lab and Mack Institute have opened the Y-Prize to competitors across the globe. Help us bring these robots out of the lab and into the marketplace, and own a piece of a high-flying tech startup.